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California · East Bay / Alameda · Alameda County · Alameda
Alameda Crown Beach
also known as Alameda, Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach, Crown Beach, Crown Memorial State Beach, Alameda Beach
Nearby Crissy Field 18 km · Coyote Point 20 km · Ocean Beach 21 km · 3rd Avenue 21 km · Sherman Island 59 km · straight-line distance
When it fills in
Thermal, so mornings are usually flat. It builds through the early afternoon in spring and summer and settles into the 10-20 knot band, then eases in the evening. Winter storm wind is a different animal and follows no clock.
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
thermal
fills in: Thermal, so mornings are usually flat. It builds through the early afternoon in spring and summer and settles into the 10-20 knot band, then eases in the evening. Winter storm wind is a different animal and follows no clock.
Typical strength
10-17+ (converted from local source values of 12-20+ mph). The afternoon thermal usually settles in a 10-20 knot band; summer sits steady and rarely goes past about 19 knots, while winter storms have gusted over 50 mph.
The quiver, in words
No local size guidance is published. Indicative for a 75-85 kg rider, converted from the local wind figures rather than measured: 12-14 m in the 12-15 mph summer W-SW, 9-11 m when the spring W-NW is over 20 mph, 7-8 m on the spring afternoons that jump to 30.
Direction to shore
onshore and sideshore
Dominant direction
W-NW in spring; W-SW in summer
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan15
- Feb16
- Mar, riders' month19
- Apr, riders' month13
- May, riders' month6
- Jun, riders' month2
- Jul, riders' month0
- Aug, riders' month0
- Sep3
- Oct0
- Nov5
- Dec2
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug.
- 15%Jan12°
- 16%Feb12°
- 19%Mar13°
- 13%Apr16°
- 6%May19°
- 2%Jun20°
- 0%Jul21°
- 0%Aug21°
- 3%Sep21°
- 0%Oct20°
- 5%Nov15°
- 2%Dec13°
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · water °C below · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Water | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15% | 29% | 26% | 8.9 kt | SSE | 14:00 | 10.6°C | 11.9°C | 62 |
| Feb | 16% | 33% | 32% | 9.5 kt | NW | 16:00 | 10.5°C | 12.3°C | 57 |
| Mar | 19% | 39% | 31% | 10.9 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 11.1°C | 13.2°C | 62 |
| Apr | 13% | 33% | 22% | 10.1 kt | WNW | 17:00 | 12.1°C | 16°C | 60 |
| May | 6% | 19% | 15% | 9.4 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 13.7°C | 18.7°C | 62 |
| Jun | 2% | 13% | 7% | 9 kt | WNW | 17:00 | 15.1°C | 20.2°C | 60 |
| Jul | 0% | 5% | 2% | 8 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 15.6°C | 21°C | 62 |
| Aug | 0% | 8% | 2% | 8.2 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 16.7°C | 21°C | 62 |
| Sep | 3% | 8% | 5% | 8.3 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 16.7°C | 21.1°C | 60 |
| Oct | 0% | 3% | 2% | 6.9 kt | NW | 16:00 | 16.3°C | 19.7°C | 62 |
| Nov | 5% | 13% | 8% | 7.1 kt | NW | 14:00 | 12.4°C | 15.2°C | 60 |
| Dec | 2% | 10% | 8% | 6.4 kt | NW | 13:00 | 10.7°C | 12.7°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
bay
Standing depth
Waist-deep over a long stretch off the beach, on a soft bottom, which is most of why beginners get sent here. On a negative tide the water pulls so far out that reaching it means up to 300 yd across sandy mud with holes and soft spots.
Tides
Beach size varies dramatically with tide; low tide gives more beach launch/landing room, while negative tides can require up to a 300 yd walk through sandy mud with holes and soft spots.
Temperature
16°C summer · 11°C winter
Wetsuit
No local guidance on rubber thickness. Bay water sits near 16 C in summer and 11 C in winter, so plan on a full suit unless you know better.
Currents
Negligible. Riding well out from shore is another matter: check the tide and carry a VHF radio.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Designated grass rigging and storage by The Shack with a tight launch/landing zone near the Bay Trail, benches, poles, lamp posts, and beach erosion drop-off; low tide creates more usable beach room.
Somewhere else
Crissy Field, 18 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Kites go up and come down in two places only: the Shack/Boardsports California area and Shell Gate Beach. Launch outside them and you can be cited.
Space
Designated grass rigging and storage by The Shack with a tight launch/landing zone near the Bay Trail, benches, poles, lamp posts, and beach erosion drop-off; low tide creates more usable beach room.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Launch and land at The Shack or at Shell Gate Beach only; anywhere else on this beach is a citation.
- Go on a low tide: more sand, and the launch moves away from the benches and the Bay Trail.
- Read the wind right before you pull the kite up, because it swings up to 45 degrees here.
- Stay off the water between the marked grate buoys at low to medium tide, where rocks and concrete come up.
- Riding well off the beach: check the tide first and carry a VHF, Channel 16 for the Coast Guard.
- On a negative tide expect up to 300 yd of walking through sandy mud with holes and soft spots in it.
- It is an early-afternoon thermal. Turning up at ten in the morning usually means waiting on the grass.
- The rigging and launch zones are posted on a board at The Shack; read it before you unroll anything.
Getting there
Airport
Oakland International Airport (OAK)
Route
From Oakland take Doolittle toward Alameda and aim for Crown Beach around Otis Drive and Westline Drive/8th Street. Put 600 Westline Drive into the phone for the southern parking near the launch.
No-wind days
Crab Cove Visitor Center, the Elsie Roemer bird sanctuary viewpoints, picnic areas and swimming inside park hours; kayaks and paddleboards on the flat; restaurants and bars on Webster and Park Street.
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Alameda Crown Beach?
The season runs March through August, with March-May being strongest as W-NW wind regularly reaches 20 mph or more; summer wind is lighter and can be choppier.
Is Alameda Crown Beach good for beginners?
It is considered the Bay Area's most beginner-friendly kite spot thanks to shallow water and a long downwind beach, though the launch zone itself is tight, crowded, and protocol-driven.
Where can I launch a kite at Alameda Crown Beach?
Launching and landing is restricted to the designated areas at The Shack/Boardsports California and Shell Gate Beach; kiting elsewhere can result in a citation.
Are there kite schools at Alameda Crown Beach?
Yes, Boardsports California, Kite The Bay, and Cali Kites all operate nearby.
What areas are off-limits while kiting at Alameda?
Riders must stay out of Crab Cove and the adjacent bird sanctuary and keep at least two kite-line lengths from swimmers and other beach users.
Last updated: August 2026